Last Dream
by whisperingmist
Summary: Sequel to Hot and Cold Akashi wonders if Kise hates him. The thought surprisingly hurts more than it should.


Sequel to my fic, hot and cold. Please read that before this, or the story won't make much sense!

* * *

Akashi tries to focus on his shogi board, ignoring the boy slurping up onion gratin soup like his life depends upon it.

He remembers the way he woke up in the morning, drowsy with sleep and feeling warm all over, only to find that he was in Kise's arms.

It felt good, especially for someone like Akashi who has had very little actual physical contact with people. Akashi likes to think he doesn't necessarily need physical contact, but humans are all the same, and he found himself instinctively leaning into Kise's warmth.

It didn't feel all that bad, he'll admit that much.

Later on, after he'd showered and taken breakfast, he settled in front of his shogi board to clear his head. A few moves in made him realise _why_ exactly Kise was clinging to him this morning.

That was a few hours ago.

Now, as he watches the pretty blonde model crunch through salted peanuts, he still feels a wave of residual embarrassment at his bedtime habits.

Sleep is vulnerability, and for him to be seen like that, well, he supposes it's inevitable, seeing as they're sharing a room.

Unable to concentrate on shogi any longer owing to the distracting presence behind him, he gives up and decides to take a walk.

/

Kise has a lazy morning.

He lounges on the bed and watches shitty rom-coms, and splurges on room-service.

(Strictly sugar-free and low-fat, his manager would cut off his limbs if he returned from this vacation with an additional few kilos.)

He briefly wonders where Akashi has disappeared to, but that line of thought only brings in pain, and he's striving for some positive emotions here.

He grows bored after a while, he's been used to being busy until he is practically dead on his toes after all.

He hates the boredom, because with them come distracting thoughts of Akashi, which is ridiculous, because he has never thought about the redhead that way until yesterday.

It's completely ridiculous the way his thoughts linger on a pale neck covered by a white t-shirt and red eyes that could smile without appearing to do so.

He definitely doesn't fantasise about listening a smooth, cultured voice talk on and on, about the shape of pretty pink lips, red hair matted to a pink forehead as -

 _Stop._

This is utterly insane, the way the redhead seems to casually rule over his thoughts like he does with everything in life, Kise never even gave the other boy permission to enter his heart, but now the redhead occupies every inch of it like he owns it.

Kise has always been quick to fall in love, but quicker to fall out of it, so he decides that he just needs time to get over the enigmatic redhead.

With that last comforting thought in mind, he succumbs to sleep.

/

It is this sight, Kise sprawled on the entire bed, that greets Akashi when he enters the room.

He smiles softly at the endearing _(What. Why would he even think that.)_ sight and moves to switch off the TV, when Kise stirs, and then shoots out of the bed, completely awake.

"Akashicchi!" Kise greets him, but Akashi finds that there's something _off_ with Kise's voice, but Kise's continuing to talk, and his words pull Akashi away.

"Where were you? I was so bored, aren't we like, going to do something? This is a get-together, but I don't see any socialising at all!" Kise complains.

Akashi observes his face scrunched up in childish distress, tone bright, and decides he cannot pinpoint what it is about Kise that seems off.

"Alright, Kise. I'll talk to them."

/

"We should hang out," Akashi tells the group over lunch, and watches the myriad of emotions that cross his friends' faces.

Midorima's expression is an interesting combination of puzzled and surprised, Murasakibara gives Akashi a short glance before focusing on his meal, Kuroko does not look up at all, but Akashi notes his fingers tightening on his chopsticks, while Aomine snorts openly.

It's Kise's reaction, that is most interesting to Akashi.

Kise looks _relieved,_ and isn't that strange, because that would imply he was wary of solitude, or rather wary of spending time with his roommate, and that would be none other than himself.

Akashi looks down, trying to focus on his onigiri, pushing away the hurt that hits him like a blow to his chest, because Kise is someone he hadn't actually wronged in the past, Kise is someone neutral, Kise loved everyone, so Akashi thought-

He should've known better than to think that way, he isn't a very likable person after all.

"I didn't wish to impose," he adds after the group doesn't respond to his request, it's their first time actually being in each other's proximity after a long time, and Akashi knows firsthand how volatile this group of individuals were, and still are.

"You wouldn't be imposing, nanodayo," Midorima says gravely, and Akashi wonders how Midorima is able to keep his poise even with an electric pink hairdryer in one hand.

"Aka-chin, there's a food festival nearby, we could go there," Murasakibara suggests, through a mouthful of rice, and Midorima is quick to chastise him.

"We could play basketball?" Kuroko sounds hopeful, and Akashi smiles at the eagerness shining bright in those aqua eyes.

"We could, Kuroko," Akashi relents, and feels a surge of warmth as the others squabble over who would decide the destination.

How foolish of him to have doubted his teammates.

He is still smiling when he catches Kise, unusually quiet, picking into his food, and not joining in the clamor even when Aomine baits him.

The smile falls from his face.

/

In the end, the group decides to go to an amusement park.

"That would be nice," Akashi offers, "seeing as I have never been to one."

The others turn horrified eyes to him.

"Never?" Aomine demands, and Akashi shakes his head.

"What blasphemy," Midorima says, looking indignant.

"Aka-chin hasn't tried all the snacks in the amusement parks?" Murasakibara asks, looking upset.

"I'm sure they're the same snacks as else where, Murasakibara," Akashi tells him, but Kuroko shakes his head.

"That's settled. We're going on all the rides," Kuroko announces and marches to buy tickets.

/

What cosmic irony, Akashi thinks, as he's seated next to Kise on the roller-coaster. Kise's smiles, usually filled with such _color,_ seem bland and fake today, when directed at Akashi.

Akashi tries to inch subtly away from Kise, when the ride starts.

/

At the end of the ride, he's practically on Kise's lap.

/

"We're not going on anymore rides," Kise declares, all but shoving Akashi off his lap.

"Why," Murasakibara pouts, "I actually like rides."

"Well, I don't," Kise tells through gritted teeth, and Akashi has to wonder what is that he did, that has Kise so worked up.

In the end, all it takes is a sharp glance from Kuroko to silence Kise.

/

They have their lunch at the amusement park, Akashi for once not complaining about the amount of junk food they order.

He purposely waits until Kise is seated, and drops on the seat next to him. As expected, Kise pulls away his elbows from the table, as if he couldn't bear to even touch Akashi.

/

They go to the beach afterward, splashing each other with water, and having fun, until Kuroko vanishes into thin air and raises a hullabaloo.

They find him several hours later, on a comfy beach chair, slurping enthusiastically on a vanilla milkshake.

/

Kise does not meet Akashi's eyes once through dinner.

/

Akashi is quite fed up of Kise giving him the cold shoulder, purely for reasons he cannot comprehend.

Whether Kise likes him or not, should be irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, and yet, he can't help the hurt that courses through him when he sees Kise direct that sunny smile at everyone except him.

There is only thing to do, then, Akashi resolves, as he watches Kise with all the intensity of a predator closing in on its prey.

/

They enter their shared room, and Akashi watches as Kise flops on the bed, as if all the interaction has exhausted him. He certainly looks very tired, Akashi notes. He doesn't want to disturb the peace that settles over Kise's face as he lays on the comfortable bed, yet his mind is endlessly curious, and that more than anything, is what spurs him into action.

"Kise?" he calls, and watches the way Kise's peaceful appearance shatters.

"Akashicchi," Kise answers, injecting false cheer into his voice.

"Are you upset with me?" The question is blunt, but Akashi sees no point in beating around the bush.

Kise's eyes widen improbably, then he smiles, eyes warm. Akashi would have believed it if he hadn't known to watch for the slight tremor in Kise's hands.

Akashi waits for the lie.

"Oh no, Akashicchi! I was just tired. I slept late, and-" Kise babbles on, and Akashi only grows angrier. Does Kise take Akashi for a fool? Does Kise think Akashi cannot recognise the simple signs of fatigue versus his active avoidance of Akashi?

Preposterous.

"Kise, please." The words are hardly a plead, and Kise falls silent immediately, eyes sharpening like twin golden blades.

Kise sighs. "I suppose I couldn't hide it, huh. It can't be helped. I'm very transparent and you're very observant." Kise looks straight into Akashi's eyes, and suddenly Akashi feels unnerved. "Akashicchi, I like you. I think I have a crush on you."

Akashi's brain short-circuits and fizzles.

It takes him a moment to process the information, and suddenly everything, all of Kise's little reactions to him, seem to fall in place.

Akashi looks up to see Kise watching him like a hawk, expression softening once he meets Akashi's eyes, and Akashi feels _weird._

He doesn't know why he feels this way, only that he's embarrassed, and he has no reason to be, except, _except_ -

It feels _nice._

It feels nice to be liked for once, for who he is, and not for how he looks.

It feels nice to know to that someone can like him after witnessing all of his greatest failures.

It feels nice, he realises, to be liked by someone whom he likes.

"Akashicchi?" Kise asks, voice shrouded with concern, and Akashi looks up, a decision forming in his mind.

"Kise," he says, and is glad his voice doesn't tremble, "please kiss me."

/

Kuroko stands in front of Akashi and Kise's room wondering whether or not he should knock. Aomine has sent him there because Aomine, after consuming an overdose of junk food, is currently hunched over in pain.

His first choice was Midorima, but Midorima who was supposedly last on his Oha-Asa rankings, plainly refused to leave his room.

So Kuroko's next choice is Akashi, because as Akashi often says, he's absolute after all.

He knocks quietly, but receives no response, and deciding that his friend's deteriorating health constitutes as an emergency, pushes his way in.

His eyes grow wide at what he sees, and certainly never wished to see, because the way Kise has Akashi pressed up against the wall has surely got to be painful.

The two of them are so entwined in each other that they don't notice Kuroko, who even on his best days is barely noticeable.

Kuroko bows, and apologises for the intrusion, quickly shutting the door behind him, but he has the feeling they don't hear him.

/

He tells Aomine that Kise and Akashi are exchanging saliva, and are possibly together, ("You mean together _together_?" "Yes, Aomine-kun. Together _together._ ) that he's promptly relieved of all his pains, and is sitting on the bed, looking contemplative.

Kuroko knows it's a big enough issue when Aomine looks contemplative.

"I hope they don't hurt each other," Aomine says, and Kuroko smiles.

"I hope they don't too, Aomine-kun. I'm happy for them."

"I'm happy too. But Tetsu, who do you think will top? Like Akashi's shorter, but Kise is a wimp you know, and-"

"Aomine-kun, please stop or I'll hit you."

/

The next day when all of them meet at the lobby, the rest of the Kiseki take careful note of the way Akashi and Kise keep touching each other, subtle soft brushes of skin, and the way Akashi's eyes seem more scarlet than usual, and the way Kise's sunny smile is back.

/

Akashi leans into Kise at the movie theatre, feeling comfortable.

Their friends couldn't join them, seeing as Aomine is down with a stomach ache, and Kuroko stays back to look after him. Murasakibara is too lazy to leave the room, and Midorima is in distress because his lucky item has gone missing. Akashi offers to look for the lucky item, but Midorima vehemently refuses, saying that Akashi need not waste his morning.

Akashi is surprised.

In the end, it's only Kise and him, and Akashi cannot he say he minds very much, especially when Kise dips his head to kiss him, and Akashi turns away, laughing slightly.

"Akashicchi so mean!" Kise wails, but Akashi spots the twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

Kise's hand curls around his, cool against his warm skin, and Akashi sighs, feeling content.

* * *

Notes - so the Kiseki followed these two, bc Aomine is an idiot, and Mido is a tsundere. And Akashi noticed after some time that they were being followed haha,

I hope Akashi liking Kise wasn't abrupt and OOC, let's just say rn at this point, Akashi doesn't _truly_ love Kise, he's just desperate for companionship. Kise isn't very much into Akashi too, at least nothing more than 'oh no, he's hot'. They'll fall in love along the way, I hope. So, yep. I'm sorry for ruining the fluffy mood with my psychoanalysis but I really couldn't accept writing that Akashi would fall so easily for someone, and I really wasn't in the mood to make this any longer. This has been in my phone for like - 6-7 months I think haha. So hope u liked, forgive me for any OOCness, and also any errors!


End file.
